A Manual of Historic Ornament: Treating upon the evolution, tradition, and development of architecture and other applied arts. Prepared for the use of students and craftsmenGlazier, Richard
History
A Manual of Historic Ornament: Treating upon the evolution, tradition, and development of architecture and other applied arts. Prepared for the use of students and craftsmen
Glazier, Richard
Decoration and ornament -- History; Decoration and ornament, Architectural -- History; Decorative arts -- History
Splendid heraldic glass by A. W. Pugin may be seen in the Houses of
Parliament, Westminster; and in the hall and staircase of the Rochdale
Town Hall, there is a fine series of windows by Heaton, Butler, and
Baine, remarkable for dignity of style and unity of conception.
[Illustration:
GOLD AND SILVER. Plate 32.
]
GOLD AND SILVER.
Of all treasure trove, those of gold and silver are the most valuable,
showing us the riches, culture and the decorative arts of the people who
centuries ago used these beautiful objects of jewellery or of utility.
One of the earliest and most valuable of these treasures was found in
1859 with the mummy of Queen Aah-Hotep, 1800 B.C. (Cairo Museum), and
consisted of: bracelets, armlets, rings, chains, a diadem (fig. 1), a
small model of a twelve-oared war galley, and a poniard, all of
exquisite workmanship, and of pure gold, enriched with jasper and
turquoise vitreous pastes. At Petrossa in 1837 (Bukarest Museum),
twenty-two beautiful gold objects were found, but only twelve were
recovered, consisting of two neck-rings or Torques; a large salver,
hammered and chased; a ewer; a bowl with figures in repoussé; four
fibula enriched with precious stones; a gorget; and two double-handled
cups (fig. 4) all of which are Byzantine work of the 5th century. At
Guarrazar in Spain, ten gold votive crowns of Gothic workmanship were
found; one inscribed with the name of King Suintila, 630 A.D., is now in
the museum at Madrid, the others in the Hôtel Cluny, Paris, the largest
having the name of King Rescesvinthus, 670 A.D. in pendive letters (fig.
3). Of silversmith’s work, the most important is the “Treasure of
Hildesheim,” found in 1868 (now in the Berlin Museum) consisting of
thirty objects, cups, vases, and dishes, beautiful in contour and
admirably enriched with delicate repoussé work of the Greco-Roman period
(fig. 5). The British Museum contains many fine examples of Greek and
Etruscan goldsmith’s art; some early Greek work has the typical Mycenæ
spiral enrichment. Beautiful Greek plaques of the 4th and 5th centuries
B.C. were obtained by pressing the gold into stone moulds, and were
afterwards enriched with threads of gold or “filigree,” which developed
later into the Byzantine filigree work.
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